Those of you who have followed my blog from the start would be aware that I was once significantly overweight, in fact my fat loss experience was one of my key motivations for wanting to help others achieve their health goals.

I made a lot of mistakes during my journey, some due to a lack of guidance and some due to my previous short comings. Since then, I have become more informed and a lot wiser, not only as result of my own experiences but, from those of my clients. Today I will share with you five important tips for kicking off your fat loss journey.

Change your lifestyle

The most important thing about losing fat, is changing your lifestyle, it is the only way for the changes to become permanent.  Going on unsustainable diets, or training until you vomit six times a week might get you results fast but, it can easily back fire as it is extremely difficult to maintain over a long period.

Start replacing your unhealthy habits with healthy ones, if you feel like junk food, go for a five minute walk, when you would ordinarily eat it. You lose nothing, and even if you still end up eating it at least you start to associate that craving with walking.

If you are travelling a short distance, walk there. I started losing weight by walking 20 minutes to a train station  in the morning and then walking back home at night, it meant getting up 20 minutes earlier and getting home 20 minutes later, but it led to big changes.

Value being fit and healthy

What can be more important than your health, fat loss is an investment in you and the quality of your life. Do not accept the excuse that you do not have time, value your health enough to make the time, whether it means getting up 15 minutes earlier and going for a walk, or it means a workout with friends on a Saturday afternoon instead of spending it at your local pub, this is worth making time for.

Get enough quality sleep

There is a lot more to losing fat than eating and exercising, getting the right amount of sleep keeps your hormones in check and helps your body recover. There are two sides to recovery, one is nutrition and the other is sleep. Sleeping properly will facilitate fat loss by keeping your stress levels under control. The majority of adults require six-eight hours of sleep, find out what amount enables you to feel well rested and ensure you are able to get it every night.

Listen to your body

How your body responds to your exercise levels and your nutrition habits is an indication of whether what you are doing is working or not. If you are getting results and feel healthy you are on track, if you are getting dizzy spells or waking up in the middle of the night starving ,your body is telling you something is not right, ladies if your period goes away for no apparent reason, it can also be a sign of the latter. Further, if your are getting results you probably need to do something.  

Do compound resistance training exercises

Getting stronger will not only help with toning and minimise that flabby look, but having more muscle increases metabolic activity, more muscle means burning more not only when you are training but when you are doing nothing.

Opt for body weight and free weight exercises which are compound such as squats, inverted rows and push-ups, they require more energy to perform and tend to be more functional.